Recognizing Modeling Agency Scams

Modeling agencies are found all over the world and there are usually a few of them in every town and city. Find the best ones may be a challenge as there are so many to choose from. You also need to watch out for the ones that are modeling scams which you will probably come across in your search for the perfect agent.

While many agencies are not scams per say, they may just be very poorly run and managed without the proper clientele and adequate skills to get you the right jobs or enough jobs. You may very well join one of these agencies only to find that you never get called for work. Sometimes they are even cheeky enough to ask for an upfront fee to cover their admin costs and costs of getting your portfolio ready. You should never fall for this trap.

An agent must want you and will be willing to pay for your portfolio and everything else until you get work. The commission that the agency makes from your jobs will pay for your portfolio and entry into their books and a good agent knows this. They will also endeavor to get you as many jobs as possible.

The actual scams come about, when you are asked to pay to join an agency. You must never trust agencies like this, as they will probably take your money and run. If you ever come across an agency that does not have credentials, a land line phone number, an actual address or a listing with an agents association, it is probably not a good idea to join them.

Some agencies will even go so far as to create a fake office where you will come to register and after you, hundreds of other girls and guys, have paid them they will disappear. Protecting yourself from these scams is not that hard, if you just stick to the well known agencies and find ones that other models use. If you cannot get into a top modeling agency right away, you can still find smaller, lesser known agencies that are reputable and trustworthy. Do a little bit of research as to what clients they have and what models they represent.

Also, don’t trust a logo or certificate that claims they are part of an association. Rather check the agency yourself by phoning a third party client or association that they claim to belong to. These days, anyone can create fake documents and logos to trick you into believing them.

Look for how long the agency has been around for. Enquire with neighboring shops or offices as to how long the agency has been there for. The longer they have been in one place, the better.

The main piece of advice for avoiding agency scams is to never ever pay any agency to join them. They are supposed to be investing in you and will get paid from all the jobs they get for you. Any fees there are for administration, etc, should be taken from your first few jobs.